OpenStax-CNX module: m10881 1

Key Signature ∗

Catherine Schmidt-Jones

This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0†

Abstract
The key signature at the beginning of a musical sta lists the sharps or ats in the key.
The key signature appears right after the clef1 symbol on the sta2 . In common notation, clef and key
signature are the only symbols that normally appear on every sta. They appear so often
because they are such important symbols; they tell you what note is found on each line and
space of the sta. This can change from one piece of music to another, so the musician must know the
clef and key signature in order to read the music correctly; in a way, the written music is a coded message,
with each note standing for a sound with a particular pitch3 , and the clef and key signature are the key that
tell you how to decode this particular message. (For an explanation of why things are done this way, please
see how to read music4 .)

Figure 1

The clef tells you the letter name of the note - for example, the top line on a bass clef sta is always
some kind of A; but you need the key signature to tell you what kind of A. It may have either some sharp5
∗ Version 2.17: Feb 15, 2013 7:53 pm +0000
† http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
1 "Clef" <http://cnx.org/content/m10941/latest/>
2 "The Sta" <http://cnx.org/content/m10880/latest/>
3 "Pitch: Sharp, Flat, and Natural Notes" <http://cnx.org/content/m10943/latest/>
4 "How to Read Music": Section Learning to read music accurately and independently
<http://cnx.org/content/m43040/latest/#eip-216>
5 "Pitch: Sharp, Flat, and Natural Notes" <http://cnx.org/content/m10943/latest/>

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symbols on particular lines or spaces, or some at6 symbols, again on particular lines or spaces. If there are
no ats or sharps listed after the clef symbol, then the key signature is "all notes are natural".
The key signature is a list of all the sharps and ats in the key7 that the music is in. When a sharp
(or at) appears on a line or space in the key signature, all the notes on that line or space are
sharp (or at), and all other notes with the same letter names in other octaves are also sharp
(or at).

Figure 2: This key signature has a at on the "B" line, so all of these B's are at.

The sharps or ats always appear in the same order in all key signatures. This is the same order in
which they are added as keys get sharper or atter. For example, if a key (G major or E minor) has only
one sharp, it will be F sharp, so F sharp is always the rst sharp listed in a sharp key signature. The keys
that have two sharps (D major and B minor) have F sharp and C sharp, so C sharp is always the second
sharp in a key signature, and so on. The order of sharps is: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp,
A sharp, E sharp, B sharp. The order of ats is the reverse of the order of sharps: B at, E
at, A at, D at, G at, C at, F at. So the keys with only one at (F major and D minor) have a
B at; the keys with two ats (B at major and G minor) have B at and E at; and so on. The order of
ats and sharps, like the order of the keys themselves, follows a circle of fths8 .

Figure 3

If you do not know the name of the key of a piece of music, the key signature can help you nd out.
Assume for a moment that you are in a major key9 . If the key contains sharps, the name of the key is one
half step10 higher than the last sharp in the key signature. If the key contains ats, the name of the key
6 "Pitch: Sharp, Flat, and Natural Notes" <http://cnx.org/content/m10943/latest/>
7 "Major Keys and Scales" <http://cnx.org/content/m10851/latest/>
8 "The Circle of Fifths" <http://cnx.org/content/m10865/latest/>
9 "Major Keys and Scales" <http://cnx.org/content/m10851/latest/>
10 "Half Steps and Whole Steps" <http://cnx.org/content/m10866/latest/>

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signature is the name of the second-to-last at in the key signature.

Example 1
Figure 4 demonstrates quick ways to name the (major) key simply by looking at the key signature.
In at keys, the second-to-last at names the key. In sharp keys, the note that names the key is
one half step above the nal sharp.

Figure 4

The only major keys that these rules do not work for are C major (no ats or sharps) and F major (one at).
It is easiest just to memorize the key signatures for these two very common keys. If you want a rule that
also works for the key of F major, remember that the second-to-last at is always a perfect fourth11 higher
than (or a perfect fth lower than) the nal at. So you can also say that the name of the key signature is
a perfect fourth lower than the name of the nal at.

Figure 5: The key of C major has no sharps or ats. F major has one at.

11 "Interval" <http://cnx.org/content/m10867/latest/#p21b>

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If the music is in a minor key, it will be in the relative minor12 of the major key for that key signature.
You may be able to tell just from listening (see Major Keys and Scales13 ) whether the music is in a major
or minor key. If not, the best clue is to look at the nal chord14 . That chord (and often the nal note of the
melody, also) will usually name the key.
Exercise 1 (Solution on p. 5.)
Write the key signatures asked for in Figure 6 and name the major keys that they represent.

Figure 6

12 "Minor Keys and Scales": Section Relative Minor and Major Keys <http://cnx.org/content/m10856/latest/#s3>
13 "Major Keys and Scales" <http://cnx.org/content/m10851/latest/>
14 "Harmony": Chords <http://cnx.org/content/m11654/latest/#l0b>

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Solutions to Exercises in this Module

Solution to Exercise (p. 4)

Figure 7

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